I did not even blink an eye at is as they have a min.

Keep steady and stick with it, using plans like looking at local buzz and keeping an eye on road projects, to help grow home values.Thanks!

Would a unused, open HELOC affect my credit worthiness or increase the risk in the eyes of a traditional bank lender? 

I have my eye on one that's in my price range. 

therefore, I think your theory does not pass the eye test.  

Hard money lenders are also going to verify the rehab budget and ARV - so having them vet your deal and put another set of eyes on it will be beneficial to you. 

I put eye and ear protection on the kids and handed a hammer to my daughter and an old baseball bat to my son and told them to go to town.

Yes, discounting the rent for a person for their eyes and ears on the property is worth it's wait in gold- but make sure you choose the right person, not necessarily the person that talks the most! 

Plus, keeping an eye on market trends and potential future developments can really give you an edge in making a smart investment.

If you proactively offered him even a small extra piece, say 5%, that would be huge in his eyes and buy you a lot of goodwill.....